The final previews of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are out. 2: journalists are delighted with the atmosphere and gameplay

Foreign gaming publications have released their final previews of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Journalists shared their impressions after several hours of testing the shooter from the Ukrainian studio GSC Game World.

Reviewers note that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 impresses with the scale and detail of its open world. Gamesradar writes:

“It's hard to express how vast S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is until you first open the map — zooming out reveals its stunning size, but even the immediate surroundings are filled with interesting spots to explore.”

IGN emphasizes that the game offers diverse gameplay options and problem-solving approaches.

“I couldn't help but recall the hundreds of hours I've spent in Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas — two of my all-time favorite games — and felt the same doubts about the rightness of decisions made in certain situations,” the reviewer notes.

Eurogamer wrote about the game's world reactivity:

“During my brief time in the Zone, I frequently saw these systems in action. At one point, while climbing along the wall of a complex, a mutant lunged at me, only to run back into the Zone squealing after hitting a fire anomaly just before attacking.”

Journalists remark that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 stays true to the spirit of the original trilogy, maintaining an atmosphere of danger and survival. Gamesradar writes:

“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, to be honest, almost humorously demonstrates how little it cares about the player. At one moment, I experienced a tense shootout with three bandits, only to die when I couldn't bandage a bleeding wound in time.”

Eurogamer highlights that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 offers a unique experience among modern open-world games:

“In an era of precise souls-like games and meticulously crafted experiences like God of War: Ragnarök, the flexibility and adaptability of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is refreshing and intriguing.”

Meanwhile, VG247 draws attention to the technical issues in the game's beta version:

“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is not without its problems. The preview version has bugs ranging from Bethesda-style quirks to more serious glitches that disrupt gameplay. At one point, my character, who was giving quests, got stuck in battle mode even after I defeated the attackers. I managed to make the game crash by selling excess weapons too quickly.”

However, the reviewer adds:

“Considering half the team is working remotely from Ukraine, where a war is ongoing, I sympathize with them and can forgive these glitches — but they should be kept in mind as the full release approaches.”

Despite the technical flaws, VG247 overall praises the game, comparing it to the Fallout series:

“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is like a worn leather jacket, patched up where it has torn, with various stains and a hidden flask. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has some scars; it's not the prettiest thing in the world, but, damn, it's really cool.”

Overall, despite some technical issues in the beta version, journalists remain impressed with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and are eagerly awaiting the game's full release.

The release of “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl” is just around the corner — November 20. The game will be available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, and will also be available immediately on Game Pass.